Suture-button constructs have been used for fixation of ligaments in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction as shown, for example, in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0046009, incorporated herein by reference. The suture-button construct disclosed in this patent application is formed of a button and a continuous suture loop passing through the button. The surgical method of ACL reconstruction includes the step of looping a graft (such as a semitendinosus allograft) over the continuous loop attached to a button and then fixing the graft in a femoral socket by inter alia (i) passing the button with the continuous loop and graft lengthwise through a tunnel in the femur, and (ii) flipping the button once it exits the femoral cortex to secure the button to the femur, thereby securing the attached graft within the femoral socket.
When an oblong button is employed to pull the graft through the tunnel in ACL reconstruction, the oblong button, when flipped, provides increased cortical bone contact which, in turn, allows increased graft fixation. However, a longer oblong button requires a longer suture (or suture loop) to flip the button on the femoral cortex. That is, a longer, oblong button requires a longer suture to pull the full length of the oblong button out of the tunnel, so that the button has enough room to flip on the cortex. For example, a 20 mm long straight button needs to exit the lateral cortex for at least about 20 mm, to allow for enough flipping distance.
A novel button construct that requires decreased flipping distance while providing maximum cortical bone contact and maximum graft fixation is desired.